ORLANDO - The day after his Republican opponent challenged his readiness to be president and ability to deal with military affairs, Sen. Barack Obama aggressively pushed back by questioning Sen. John McCain's conduct as a candidate.

"Instead of just offering policy answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks," Obama said during a morning appearance before a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, where McCain spoke on Monday.

"That is John McCain's prerogative," Obama said. "He can run that kind of campaign, and - frankly - that's how political campaigns have been run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us."

Speaking to about 3,000 veterans and their spouses, Obama called for a "serious" debate as the two presidential candidates enter the final phase of the campaign and suggested Republicans have falsely questioned his patriotism.

"I will let no one question my love of this country," he said. "I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views...But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a red America or a blue America - you served the United States of America."

McCain's campaign responded with a statement that suggested Obama offers "rhetoric and theatrics," as compared to the Arizona Republican's strength and experience.

"Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain doesn't have to compensate for a lack of credibility on the international stage with inflammatory and public threats against American allies," spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement.

Obama outlined what he views as a serious set of foreign policy matters facing the nation before an audience that is scheduled to hear President Bush on Wednesday, assuming Tropical Storm Fay does not further hinder the convention.

"We are in the midst of two wars," he said. "The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia. Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The next Commander-in-Chief is going to have to exercise the best possible judgment in getting us through these difficult times."

As he did a year earlier when he spoke to the same group in Kansas City, the Illinois Democrat presented his early opposition to an invasion of Iraq as a badge of honor.

"Six years ago, I stood up at a time when it was politically difficult to oppose going to war in Iraq, and argued that our first priority had to be finishing the fight against Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in Afghanistan," Obama said. "Sen. McCain was already turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, and he became a leading supporter of an invasion and occupation of a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and that - as despicable as Saddam Hussein was - posed no imminent threat to the American people."

Obama said McCain's forecasting of the war was wrong.

"Sen. McCain predicted that we'd be greeted as liberators, and that the Iraqis would bear the cost of rebuilding through their bountiful oil revenues," he said. "For the good of our country, I wish he had been right, and I had been wrong. But that's not what history shows."

Obama argued the ongoing U.S. involvement in Iraq is hurting America at home and abroad.

"Our military is badly overstretched - a fact that has surely been noted in capitals around the world," he said. "And while we pay a heavy price in Iraq - and Americans pay record prices at the pump - Iraq's government is sitting on a $79 billion dollar budget surplus from windfall oil profits."

Obama called for added attention on Afghanistan, a terrorist haven he visited this summer.

"This is the central front in the war on terrorism," he said. "This is the war that we have to win."

As with Iraq, Obama found fault with McCain's Afghanistan views.

"Sen. McCain argued that we could just, and I quote, 'muddle through' in Afghanistan, and only came around to supporting my call for more troops last month," he said.

Obama also offered some of his most extensive remarks yet on the situation in Georgia.

"There is no possible justification for Russia's actions," he said. "Russian troops have yet to begin the withdrawal required by the cease-fire signed by their president, and we are hearing reports of Russian atrocities: burning wheat fields, brutal killings, and the destruction of Georgia's infrastructure and military assets."

Obama called for added U.S. aid to the nation and potential sanctions against Russia as he stressed the need for U.S. leadership in the world.

"We failed to head off this conflict and lost leverage in our ability to contain it because our leaders have been distracted, our resources overstretched, and our alliances frayed," he said. "American leadership means getting engaged earlier to shape events so that we're not merely responding to them."

Comments

Obama is so unqualified to be President. He talks about the war on terror, Russia and Iraq as serious problems.
Obama is clueless many more nations will present problems in the next 4 years and I hope to God we don't have to look to unqualified Obama as our Commander in Chief.
His judgement regarding the smarmy people he has as friends and associates is a great indication of his flawed judgement.
The VFW vets surely don't trust Obama. The driveby media have been quoting polls showing popularity for Obama among veterans. I do not believe it I associate with many vets and they worry we are going to have Obama and it scares them to death.
Obama ran down Clarence Thomas and he is not worthy to carry Justice Thomas' law books.Clarence Thomas would make a great President not Marxist Obama. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

Obama and his campaign are looking more desperate with every passing day since his disastrous performance at Saddleback Church. First there was unsubstantiated claims that McCain cheated coming directly from the Obama campaign and now this childish whining about how his non-existent patriotism needs to be recognized by his opponent. Obama and his surrogates in the media have been tastelessly attacking John McCain for months and now this neophyte starts crying foul now that he's taking the same lumps.
More proof we need an adult like John McCain in the White House and not this arrogant windbag.
P.S. I liked that position on the Russian aggression two days before you had it, Barry. You know, WHEN JOHN MCCAIN SAID IT!

"We are in the midst of two wars," he said. "The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia. Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

One of those wars was a sham. It completely took our eye off the real problem. You voted for it. It seems Europe doesn't exactly agree with bringing Saakashvili into NATO either because he is "reckless". It seems your lobbyist and top foreign policy adviser may have let the money from Georgia cloud his mind. Desk pounding and war drums are not what we need. All this does is drive the price of oil higher. Is that your goal? So you can manipulate Americans concerns to drill here, there, and everywhere?

He has so much sympathy for people that MAIN STREAM AMERICA does not feel sadness for. His church beliefs that the Blacks are all being oppressed by whites so they can't make it in the world, his inability to go after gangs out of pitty for their situation (over the law abiding minorities they are killing in Illinois), his beliefs of getting together with Irans leader with no conditions that none of MAIN STREAM WANTS. Him putting America down on his overseas trip.... he has such a warped sense of who to sypathize with and why, his logic is not adult like at all.....I would not feel safe with him at the helm of my ship. NO THANKS!

Obama's opposition to the Iraq War is the biggest sham in this campaign. He gave a speech to an anti-war crowd in 2002 implying he would hypothetically oppose the war if he had any say in it, which he didn’t. Then in 2004, he admitted he did not have access to Senate Intelligence Reports and does not know how he would have voted on the war resolution had he been a sitting Senator at the time. His campaign cleverly explained, after the far left freaked out, that he said that as to not undermine Kerry, who, depending on what day it was, supported the war. That's fantastic. It proves my theory on Obama from the start - he is an empty suit who will tell you what you want to hear. Talking to an anti-war crowd? I'm against the war. Trying to support Kerry? I don't know how I would have voted. How about the truth? What does he really think? Who knows. This man has no apparent conviction other than a desire to be elected.

"...When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views...But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a red America or a blue America - you served the United States of America."

It should be noted that this man did not serve with, bleed with, or fight for the protection of this great country and its constitution with the very people he is lecturing. That is the audacity of his hope - but being commander in chief is still a little above his pay grade.

Thank God that the men and women I served with in Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo still have legislators like Senator McCain we can count on for more than lip support - who understand that when this nation sends us into war, we need the full support of our congress and full funding to get the resources that enable us to win wars - and the support of men like Gen. Petraeus and the strategy he has implemented that has saved American lives and saved Iraq from almost inevitable chaos.

Obama should be ashamed to lecture men like McCain and Petraeus and the thousands attending this veterans conference - he doesn't have the experience of sharing their sacrifice of service to this nation.

Obama was the one that said he would debate McCain anytime anywhere and then changed his mind when 10 townhall debates were proposed. And Obama couldn't find the time to go to Ft Hood for a debate on military matters.

So he whines about that McCain isn't talking about policy answers? Give me a break.

Basically it comes down to this. The people in this country who have a vested financial interest in keeping Barack Obama out of the White House need dupes to do thier bidding. These dupes come from people, (mostly republicans ), who listen to so-called conservative radio talk shows, (although its mostly the hosts that do all the talking), Thus, you see postings like the ones above. People who are just repeating the opinions and criticisms given to them by so-called conservative radio talk show hosts who in turn lie to these people on a daily basis, and could't care less about thier lives ( accept for thier money ), or thier situation.

"We are in the midst of two wars," he said. "The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia. Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The next Commander-in-Chief is going to have to exercise the best possible judgment in getting us through these difficult times."

I tire of this claim that "the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large." If you mean Osama bin Laden is still at large, you are correct. If you mean that the threat from al Qaeda remains, you are also somewhat correct. But if you mean the leadership structure of al Qaeda as it existed on Sept. 11, 2001, is still at large, undiminished, you could not be more wrong. Dozens of top leaders in that organization have been either captured or killed in the years since 2001. Here's an incomplete list just for starters: http://msnbc.com/modules/wtc/wtc_globaldragnet/custody_alqaida.htm

Also, it's curious that Obama continues to talk about his "judgment." Yet his brilliance did not allow him to side with the winning strategy in Iraq concocted by Gen. Petraeus. And, as he admitted at Saddleback Church, his judgment also did not allow him to see the wisdom behind welfare reform in the 1990s -- until, that is, well after the policies had been enacted and were demonstrated to be a success. For the record, that means that if Obama had been president in the mid-1990s, welfare reform would have been vetoed because he believed it would have been "disastrous." And if he had been president in 2006, the surge strategy would have been rejected out of hand because, as he said, no amount of American military might could have reversed the conditions on the ground in Iraq. Yes, he opposed the initial invasion of Iraq. But one isolated instance of "good judgment" does not necessarily mean a man possesses some kind of instinctive wisdom and foresight that uniquely qualifies him, above all others, to lead the U.S. and the Free World.

McCain is coming across as such a lightweight with all his talk about experience. Especially making the claim that we need HIs experience because of two unresolved wars and the mastermind of 9/11 still on the loose. Well, let's see, do you hire a representative of the same party that is responsible for those failures on the basis, that he is experienced in handling them? I don't know. I guess that's like leaving your pitcher in the game as he's being shelled because he has experience with the batters who are killing him. Give me a break McCain, your party has failed to resolve any of those issues and it's time to bring in a relief pitcher to try to clean things up.

It comes down to this, mbr47. People like you are basically dupes who does Barack Obama's bidding and you and your ilk get their talking points from leftist sites like Huffington Post and DailyKos. Because the people who run these sites have no opinions of their own and trust the gov't to run their lives they have to attack conservatives because they can't come up with anything original. But as long as Arianna and Markos make money, they could care less about their lives (except for their money) and their situations.

The RNC attack dogs will try to reduce any balanced portrayal of the Democratic candidate (here, Obama but it really doesn't matter who it is) to a stereotype: "radical, un-patriotic, tax-raisin'...etc. Thank you Tribune for reporting the facts - unlike the cable "news". Bronx cheer to the RNC cowards for their usual idiocy.

Obama conveniently forgot to mention that it was John McCain who criticized then Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld, for the conduct of the war. Obama also forgot to note that it was John McCain who was one of the first to support the surge strategy, which is now credited for drastically reducing the level of violence in Iraq. Obama's idea of pulling US troops out of Iraq in 16 months regardless of the condition on the ground is a prime example of bad judgment and recklessness. We simply cannot afford to have somebody like Obama in the White House

Lecture? Who is lecturing? Certainly not Mr. Obama. He did note that military service was not about pushing any particular political ideology but individuals acting together to defend the country when it was at risk. Clearly, this country was never at risk from Saddam Hussein or Iraq nor is the country at risk from either Russia or Iran in the face of our nuclear deterrence. Which makes our messing around with nuclear missile sites in Poland and the Czech Republic so silly. Especially when we state that their purpose is to protect Europe from an Iranian attack! How stupid does this Administration think the remainder of the world must be as they laugh behind our back and pray for a change in 1/20/09. What we do need is an administration that will pursue a diplomatic goal of a nuclear weapon free M/East. However, that would unmask Israel (the only nuclear power in the region) and require it to submit to the IAEA inspections that they continue to harp about re Iran. Unfortunately, this goal is apparently a "bridge too far" for either candidate OR party in the face of the Israeli lobby group, AIPAC. Too bad because it is the most important step to be taken for this country to establish some semblance of credibility in the region.

*Obama is still going on about having SERIOUS debate with McCain but you sure don't see him stepping up to the plate. He's all talk and no action, just as he handles appeasement with our enemies. Real scary stuff !

There certainly are a lot of folks trying to earn valuable credits at the McCain store.
We've had eight years of incompetency [9/11, Iraq, Katrina, Mortgage fiasco, Georgia and turning every department of government over to graduates of Bob Jones University] and these people want another four years of this? Hard to believe.

mbr47 - you pretty much nailed it. the power brokers of the right have done a masterful job of convincing people who should never vote republican to do just that. you see it constantly on boards like this - the simplistic, irrelevant, and contradictory nonsense spouted off by rush & co. and repeated here as if it were gospel. as obama has said - the GOP is great at campaigning, but not so good at governing. you'd think people would have noticed by now, but then again, it's impossible to underestimate the intelligence of a public that voted for the current occupant not once but twice.

It seems no one reads history anymore. We keep making the same mistakes. When the public is swept away with chants and speeches written by teams of writers you need to ask your, “Is the DNC going for broke?” I still could not find out what he did in the Illinois senate.

Listen to tb show his liberal snobbishness. These poor radio listeners don't know who they "should" be voting for, but HE sure does. Is it any wonder that normal Americans despises the reactionary left when they're out there presumptuously telling them they know what's better for the average american than the average american, him or herself, does?

How is McCain more qualified????? Most decisions he has backed have been mistakes….look at his record… Seems like all the McCain backers believe the lies spread by the GOP and prefer a smear campaign rather than having their candidate provide his views on the issues....all I hear in McCain bashing Obama..maybe he should focus on something he could offer.

Obama taught school for a little while, and then he was a very junior State Legislator, then a very, very junior Senator. This guy is qualified to be a mid-level executive at a large company that has a lot of OJT programs. He is not fit to run the largest enterprise on the face of the planet.
If you sat on the Board of Directors of a large company, and this type of resume came across your desk for a position as President of the corporation, it would be tossed out, without review. That would be the only responsible thing to do with a resume this pathetic for a position this important.
Unless we fix the tax code in this country, this is the type of person that can run for this position. If we had a day where everyone paid tax (and yes, I mean the same level of tax), the poor would start getting as angry as the wealthy and middle class as to how the money taken from us is spent. If you pay no tax, all you care about is voting for the guy that’s going to keep it that way.
We have clearly gone from taxation without representation to representation without taxation.

Wonder why Obama has received more donations from soldiers stationed abroad than McCain……6 times as many donations compared to Mr. Negative Campaign – let stick to fear tactics and provide no answers – McCain…..Maybe the soldiers stationed abroad realize McCain has no solid plans…..he is all negative rhetoric….Welcome to 2008 McCain, America is tired of the same old same old….stick to what you can do to help America…..It would be nice to hear what you can do instead what you think Obama will do.

Maybe I missed it, but did the State of Illinois vote on the war resolution that passed in Congress?

Six years ago, Obama was a nobody, an two-bit state senator that could do nothing about education in his district, or about the violence in his district or about the poverty in his district. But he was against the war in Iraq. So was every other left winder that thinks you can negotiate with people who strap bombs to little girls.

Obama claims that he thinks Afghanistan is the "right" war. How long until he pulls out of there too?

Iran is testing ICBMs and Obama oppose any effort to defend anyone against this threat.

Obama has never once in his entire life succeeded in any material way in any elected office. Even his supporters like tb and mbr47 cannot point to one success. And yet somehow he is the only one who can solve every problem. It's laughable

The strength and character of Senator McCain is unquestionable. He has a lifetime of experiences that prepare him for the job. Jr. Senator Obama is ill prepared with a brief resume. He NEEDS more experience before being trusted to protect our Country's children.

Jeff - I guess you are okay with Radio show host spreading lies??? If you do not think they are lies please research topics to find the truth. All I want average Americans to do is make up THEIR own mind not listen to some pill popper tell them what to think. Just as you are tired of the "left", I am tired of the conservatives using lies and fear tactics to prey upon uninformed individuals. I guess this is not a perfect world and some people are okay with people using false information so their side wins....To me this is not how a presidential campaign should be run. Just a comment from an average American that is tired of the lies and tired of our country being run by corporations.

Listen to tb show his liberal snobbishness. These poor radio listeners don't know who they "should" be voting for, but HE sure does. Is it any wonder that normal Americans despises the reactionary left when they're out there presumptuously telling them they know what's better for the average american than the average american, him or herself, does?

Posted by: Jeff | August 19, 2008 1:20 PM

This is funny coming from a conservative. It was none other than Rush Limbaugh who created the Dittoheads, a group of people who wore with pride their conformity of thought.
I get a chill up my spine whenever I see a political movement encouraging everyone to think less and trust more. That's exactly how we ended up in Iraq.
"Trust us," they say, "we don't need oversight or regulation. We're honest people."
Garbage.
And now McCain has become Dittohead #1.

My son received a purple heart for injuries suffered by an IED last july that blew apart his humvee in the middle of the Iraqi desert. He was part of "THE SURGE" that we were told was intended to buy time for the Iraqi's to come to terms amongst themselves. There seems to be always a reason why we can't leave Iraq yet all the stated reasons why we went to war have either been accomplished (regime change, democracy) or were totally wrong (weapons of mass destruction). We are now simply in the business of using American tax dollars to pay the Sunni's not to kill us (and we are sending this bill to our children and grand children). John McCain says he will keep us in Iraq till we "win". But what does this mean? Please tell me. What is victory? This seems like Vietnam all over again. We pulled out of there, finally. Did we lose that war? Doesn't seem so, KFC is now selling their buckets of chicken in Vietnam. Wake up fellow Americans, we need a regime change in Washington, not more of the same, as promised to us by McCain.

"Jeff - I guess you are okay with Radio show host spreading lies???"
I ABSOLUTELY am. The same way I'm okay with Markos Moulitsas and Arrianna Huffington spreading their lies over the web. The Supreme Court has ruled the answer to inflammatory speech is rebuttal and more speech, not less.
It's called freedom of speech and being an American. You should look into it.

One of the best posts ever in the Swamp comes courtesy of "JB."
Obama said he was against welfare reform, but at least acknowledges it has worked. He was against the surge, and unfortunately still is, even though he admits it has worked. Obama talks of tax cuts for the middle and lower classes, which is great. What Obama and his Obamabots don't know is that Bush cut taxes for the middle and lower classes and of his tax cuts, those groups had the lion's share. Not in regard to money, because the rich pay the most, but the biggest in regard to what they pay compared to their salary. And, after Bush's tax cuts, the rich pay a larger share of the income taxes than they did before.
It is becoming increasinly clear, that Obama only does what David Axelrod tells him to do or to say. Obama gets more help from the media than any politician in the history of the U.S.
Obama is an empty vessel, a man who really has not done all that much. He was a little known and ineffective state senator. He has been an ineffective, do-nothing U.S. senator. As an Illinois politician he is largely part of the problem facing Illinois. He has played an active role in the corruption that grips this state, from Chicago to Cook County to the entire state. He has not been a leader in this state. In fact, since he has been a U.S. senator the atmosphere in Illinois has only worsened. What has he done?
And a funny note, that most of the media has ignored, but at Saddleback, Obama began to say that Judge Clarence Thomas was too inexperienced at the time he was chosen to be a Supreme Court judge, but Obama stopped himself, knowing it would have been a huge gaffe. After all, Thomas had much more experience at the time than Obama has today.

It is not news that Obama does not have any particular experience in elective office. He never claimed to have it. I find it tedious and irksome to have a bunch of dittoheads repeatedly point out that the sun rises in the east, as if it were a revelation that's been heretofore hidden from an unsuspecting populace.

Instead, Obama is an obviously intelligent, indisputedly well-educated guy who will bring a (relatively) fresh perspective to a government that needs it, particularly after 8 years of the worst president in modern history, if not the entire history of the country. That's why he won the primary. If experience were critical, Biden or Dodd (remember him?) would have won the nomination.

Here's other news for you: The President gets help doing his job. He doesn't actually prepare budgets himself; he doesn't write bills himself; he doesn't make prepare military battle plans; he doesn't write treaties.

A President needs to be a leader and a philospher, in the sense that he (she) needs to consider a multitude of factors and interests and make sound decisions based on sound advice. There are aspects of the presidency that would benefit from great military experience; aspects that would benefit from great execuive experience; legal experience; diplomatic experience; acting experience; etc. No one is going to have all the relevant experience in one package.

We need to evaluate the candidates as a whole, not just on the basis of specific attributes. McCain has some useful attributes and so does Obama. The issue is what is the best "whole" for America.

Then just continue to avoid the issue and enjoy YOUR conformity of thought, James Foster. Continue to ignore Barack Obama's paper-thin resume, his "above my paygrade" answers and everything else that clearly shows the man isn't ready.
After all, Nancy Pelosi told you he was sent by God and Markos and Arrianna have given him their blessing. Where's the critical thought in the cult of Obama? You're funny.

Obama conveniently forgot to mention that it was John McCain who criticized then Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld, for the conduct of the war. Obama also forgot to note that it was John McCain who was one of the first to support the surge strategy, which is now credited for drastically reducing the level of violence in Iraq. Obama's idea of pulling US troops out of Iraq in 16 months regardless of the condition on the ground is a prime example of bad judgment and recklessness. We simply cannot afford to have somebody like Obama in the White House

I just am amazed at Obama's ineptitude and grand slam non eye-opener remarks and answers that answer nothing but sound sooooo eloquent and knowing without saying anything!
Gimme a break.
Gimme McCain who can do the job.

Listen to the desperation in their posts. Everyone who doesn't agree with you is a "dittohead." Even though most McCain supporters have followed him since 2000 and don't even listen to Limbaugh. Face it, your candidate is an empty suit and everytime he gets on a stage with McCain it shows.

"Obama is an obviously intelligent, indisputedly well-educated"
Me and MANY other Americans find it not all obvious and VERY much disputable that Obama is that intelligent. Especially after he got rolled by Hillary in the one debate where he was asked any tough questions (Philadelphia) and after how lost he looked when Pastor Rick Warren asked him some very straightforward, honest questions about the issues and the best he could come up with was "above my paygrade." I think being president is above his paygrade.

"The White House isn't a place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power... the economic future of the next generation,'' the narrator of Biden's 1988 ad for the Democratic nomination said. "The president has got to know the territory.''

Obama continues to have to assert that he loves "this" country, not saying "my" country. He does this because he knows -- he knows -- that many Americans feel he doesn't love "this" country as a result of two factors: (1) His constant downgrading of America and Americans even to our not speaking French and not inflating our tires; and (2) His friendships with the anti-American terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, who launched his first candidacy for public office. When I vote for a president, I want one who unquestionably loves his country, which is also my country.

The guy rose from nothing to become editor of Harvard Law Review and then teach Con. Law (one of the hardest subjects) at U of C, one of the best law schools in the country. He got there because he was smart. He may have numerous deficiencies (unlike McCain), but intelligence is not among them. You shoud have the integrity and intelligence to at least concede that point, as that would make you seem to be somewhat less of a blindly partisan chump.

As for the "above my pay grade" remark, Obama had the intelligence to acknowledge that it's a difficult issue depending on your perspective: the medical view may not be the same as a theological view. It's not a simple question; it's a deep and profound question, which explains why the most McCain could muster in response was a simplistic bumpersticker.

Pick up the clue phone a blinkin, Sen. Obama published "NO" papers as the Editor of Harvard Law Review. The ONLY Editor by the way in the history of the HLR that has not!

Another clue for you - his teaching at the University of Jones was also nondescript and lacking any brilliance! A resume builder, thanks to his mentor "I need a raise" the running out the back door - Sen. Jones.

Posted by: Greg 1:36 PM> I was thinking that Obama might be good at running the RED CROSS rather than as a President. His abilities to rally people (volunteers-youth etc)and talk a good line, would come in handy to raise money and get people to help in need. Fits him to a tee.

Henry Silva, to answer your question, he voted "Present." Which is about what we can expect from him if he is elected. This comment submitted by a once Democrat, I have not been swayed or coerced by the RNC. I was chased away by a insincere, dishonest, evil presumptuous nominee of the DNC. Don't blame all the Dems that are converting to Repub on the RNC.

Jeff:
Get ready for the landside. Obama's campaign has been doing the things necessary to get out the vote. My guess is that the majority of voters younger than 45 will overwhelmingly go for Obama and those over 65(which includes me) don't want a 72 year old who has quite visibly shown he is starting to lose it.
Obama has the traits necessary to be a great effective leader but is not good at being an attacker. Wait til Biden is selected as his running mate and you will see him nullify the smear tactics of the McCain campaign.

Tim: Thank you for your honest and straightforward post. If ANYONE knows what they're talking about it's you. I hope that your son is now at home and doing alright. Your post is definitely food for thought...DEEP THOUGHT!!!

Jeff;
it seems that you are interpreting freedom of speech to mean freedom TO lie.

There is a huge difference.

Rush and company assist the republican party in "catapulting the propaganda". They speak in innuendo, half-truths, whisper campaigns and outright lies. The media in this country is owned by no more than five families. Conglomerates, all. Tell me, which way does the political wind blow for 'them'. So when you mention/smear Daily Kos, and Arrianna Huffington actually trying to get some 'factually supported and TRUE' information to people via the only means available, I 'know' what side of the truth you are on. My guess.... you are either passionately brainwashed from listening to rush/fox hate media for so long..... or you are PAID to (as your current president said) "catapult the propaganda". (as so many who are 'paid' to post exhausted right wing dogma against anything Obama are). Either way, you are lost, but could never 'see' it.
if you can.... please keep your response as civil as my post to you is. Thank you.

Well, the polls don't agree with you, John A. McCain just retook the electoral lead. Maybe you're "starting to lose it."
A Blinkin, none of that stuff you posted is an accurate measure of intelligence. All that being editor of the Harvard Law Review and the other things Obama did in college prove is that he was a good politician and able to get unpaid campus positions. We all knew the type in college. Jayson Blair, for instance, became editor of the Maryland Student Newspaper despite poor grades. Besides, do you even put the things you did in college on your resume? I don't. I consider that a lifetime ago and I'm not even near Obama's 47 years of age.
He was not a professor at U of C, he was only a lecturer and never got tenure. Amazingly none of his writings - including his dissertation- are available today. What does that tell you? It doesn't say intelligence to me.
What were his SAT or ACT numbers? What piece of legislation is he known for in the Illinois State Senate or the US Senate? Oh, that's right, there is none.
I don't have to concede anything to you about Obama's intelligence. Like everything else about him there's a whole lot of nothing to back it up.
Finally, Pastor Warren didn't ask Obama what the medical or theological interpretations of the question were. He asked him "In your opinion, when does a life begin?" If Obama would've said "I honestly don't know" or "At birth" I would've gained a lot of respect for him. But he didn't say that. He trotted out the party's talking points. Personal decision. In consultation with pastor, husband (which really isn't their position), doctor. Not taken lightly.
Just apply that set of standards to doing anything else. What about the decision to prohibit one's daughter to marry a black man? "I made that decision after reviewing it with my spiritual advisor. It was very personal. Not done lightly. I'm sure you all can understand. The question of race mixing is really above my pay grade. Who can judge?"

The answer wasn't thoughtful or professorial. The answer was relativistic and typical of the type of justifications we employ when we don't want to deal with something tough.

I think you need some professional help. Seriously, you really come off in these posts as lacking brain function. But I guess when your only source of political information is Fox News and conservative radio you don't know what the truth really is. I feel sorry for you son.

Also, Obama didn't come from nothing. His wealthy grandparents helped his mother and stepfather raise him and he always went to the finest private schools. His grandmother was even the Vice President of the Bank of Hawaii. And now he throws her under the bus regularly for political posturing.

How much better would our country be;
If these blog topics were actually filled with debaters instead of 30 paid RNC, right wing staffers.
If these same 30 paid RNC, right wing staffers did NOT spout the SAME tired rhetoric topic after topic.
If they actually ‘contributed’ to a meaningful discussion
If they actually ‘read’ the article BEFORE letting their drivel flow
If they could NOT resort to CREATING HATRED for this man, much as they did Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. (creating hatred is all they are good at)
If they did NOT “MANUFACTURE” outrage on non-outrageous topics… (flag-pins, bitter, muslim, ‘did-he-flip-flop’)
If the Republican strategy was actually something OTHER than “make the other guy look worse than you, even if you have to FLAT OUT LIE to do it”
If Obama could state a simple truth such as “water is wet” without his words being twisted and morphed into “Rev Wright teaches that all water drinkers hate blacks… and um, America!)..- (so stupid)..
But.. these ARE the tricks the RNC and the Republicans will and are using. They have no choice. People are waking up to the fact that they have been TRICKED INTO VOTING AGIANST THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS time and again. And as LOUD as the Republican propaganda machine howls, things are so bad that most people cannot be ‘tricked’ into THINKING otherwise. (and that is very bad news for Republicans). How do you guys sleep at night knowing you are contributing to the ruination of our country and profiting from it.

Isn't it kind of sad that A Blinkin wasted half the day looking for actual accomplishments that proved Obama was intelligent and the best he could come up with was editor of the Harvard Law Review and Lecturer at U of C?

I know what I was feeling after 911 and previously during the Cole attack and the attacks previous to that. I guess my question for Mr Obamma would be, had you had a chance to vote for the actions in Iraq, what further information would you have required at the time to attack Iraq or elsewhere based on the intelligence that was available at the time?

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